Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-06-15
Assemblage Of the Pioneers.

hOOOluulQ6O vi LILO 1lVAVOlO.
THE OLD SETTLERS OF MOWER
Il COUNTY HAVE A PLEAS
ANT REUNION.
The meeting of the Old Settlers Asso-
citation at the fair grounds last Saturday,
was unusually pleasant and interesting.
The threatening appearance Of the wealth
er in the morning prevented the attend
ance of many from the country and de-
layed the opening of proceedings by re-.
quirlng transfer of the exercises from
the open air to the hall. In spite of rain
however between three and four hundred
had assembled on the grounds and IN the
hall and at II go President Gibson called
the company to order. Misses Sherwood,
Vaudeville and johnson and DR.. Allen
led the assembly in singing "Our Coun-
try" Rev. A. Morse then invoked the
divine blessing, after which the choir
sang Ancient of Days" The opening
address by President Gibson followed,
welcoming the old settlers of Mower
county to their fourth annual reunion.
The death roll was then read by the
secretary, C.. H. Davidson. From the
ranks of Mower county pioneers,
G. Sheffield. Miriam St. John, Deacon
James N. Cook. Rev. s. G. Lowry, Alex
ander E. Gemmel, Henry w. Bulls, Hen
rye. Lacy and T. NJ. Chapman have gone
during the year to the new home, leaving
vacant places here. "All Together once
Again" was sung by the choir.
President Gibson then presented Hon.
G. NJ. Cameron who delivered the ad-
dress of the day. His speech was fnll of
good hard sense and abounded in witty
points. He commenced with an alluslon
to the early history of the county and
the condition of the settlers at that time
compared with the present. The Egyp-
tian, whose aim is to see on how little
he can subsist was contrasted with our
people whose aim seems to be to see how
much they can use. The lnvigolating
effect of our climate where an able bodied
man can work out all winter, the fertility
OF the soil and our form of government
lncite even the slugeard to action. We
60 and 90 fast, outstrlpping everything e
in the worlds history. With too many.
the strife for wealth takes the, place of
everything else under the mistaken idea
that wealth brings happiness. The speak
er referred to man we'll known in Now =
er county, in language of which the fol-
lowing is short and imperfect repro
duction: The last year has witnessed
the death of man who was one of the
first settlers of Austin, coming here about
thirty years ago, a fine looking young
man, bringing with him more money
than any other of the early settlers. He
was an able business man. ambitious,
avaricious and followed the path to
wealth without deviation Without wife or
child, he led the life of usurer, but was
more human than most usurers and as
honest as the men of his class. He was
worth over 800, 900. but lived one of the
unhappiest of lives and died without q
friend, cared for by strangers.
After the address the audience was
favored with Sweet bye-and-bye," by
the choir. The election of officers fol-
lowed and Thos. Gibson President,
J. B. Yates .Vice-Presldent and C. H.
Davidson Secretary and Treasurer, were
unanimously reelected. ]. s. Decker,
Thos. Varco aud ]. J. Furlong. the exec
utive committee, were also reelected.
The financial report of the treasurer fer
the three years showed that the receipts
for the year 1884 were $98, the expendi.
lures $73. Is; for 1885, receipts, $50, ex.
pen ditures, $29.75; for 1885, receipts,
$2765, expenditures $27.35, leaving a
balance of $25.45 in the hands of the
treasurer, which was considered suffi-
cient to pay all the expenses of this meet
ing and accordingly no assessment was
made. Alter singing the doxology the
association adjourned to partake of a
picnic dinner which the ladies soon had
spread in profusion upon the tables of
the hall. A social time followed and at
its close the pioneers returned to their
homes in the various parts of the county
cheered and refreshed in body and mind
by the time thus spent in reviewing the
trials and hardships of the past. The
large number present makes it impossi,
bic for US to speak Of all who were there
by name and accordingly we mention
none specially, Suffice it to say that
Mower county IS largely indebted for lis
present high position, to the physical and
mental strength and vigor of the men
and women assembled at the fair grounds,
Saturday, June II.
The thanks of the association are due
to Misses johnson. Vaudeville and Sher-
wood and DR.. Allen, who kindly furnish